Judicial protest over hospital extension tender
Three companies that had tendered for a contract for an extension at St Vincent De Paul Hospital filed a judicial protest complaining that the Director of Contracts had adjudicated the tender without listing his reasons. Scicluna and Associates Ltd,...
Three companies that had tendered for a contract for an extension at St Vincent De Paul Hospital filed a judicial protest complaining that the Director of Contracts had adjudicated the tender without listing his reasons.
Scicluna and Associates Ltd, Zammit and Associates Consulting Engineering Ltd and Camilleri and Cuschieri Consultancy Engineering Ltd filed the protest, in the First Hall of the Civil Court, against the Director of Contracts.
The companies were all tendering for the contract of building engineering services for the construction of a 280-bed facility at St Vincent De Paul.
They claimed that the Director of Contracts had adjudicated the tender in favour of Engineering Services Ltd but failed to provide the reasons for his decision. This was in breach of public contracts regulations and also in breach of the principle of natural justice.
The companies explained that the law gave them 14 days to appeal the director's decision and these expired on Monday (August 13).
However, they could not appeal before they were provided with the reasons for the tender adjudication.
The companies, therefore, held the director liable in damages.
Lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri signed the protest.